Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 231
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 231
Live in Asteri for twenty years and you’ll fool even a Witch.
Elvia, watching the visibly downcast Lion, felt something she had rarely experienced in her long life: embarrassment.
‘I didn’t realize he’d be that disappointed.’
Elvia tracked the dispirited puppy heading toward the village with just a flick of her eyes.
Of course, she had encountered similar situations while serving previous members of House Asteri.
It was Asteri, after all—hardly just any family.
Naturally, none of them had been quite as eccentric as Lion, but every single one had been stubborn beyond belief in one direction or another.
‘There was one who blew up a mountain.’
Whenever the employees were at a loss for how to handle it, Elvia had always stepped forward as their proxy and reported directly to the Family Head.
The resulting resentment and grudges were only natural, and from that point on, quite a few Asteri members distanced themselves from her.
But Elvia never let such trifles bother her.
After all, those ties always ended the moment they were reborn as a new existence, and besides…
‘I didn’t care.’
By the standards of a Witch, they were insignificant troublemakers, and their chaos had never been particularly amusing.
She simply handled them because the contract required it.
Nothing more, nothing less.
And yet…
“Hmm. What to do.”
In the meantime, Elvia—who had been efficiently managing the mansion’s affairs and even training the Head Butler—found herself murmuring without thinking.
“Is something troubling you?”
The Head Butler had returned looking a complete mess after learning and practicing a method to polish the mansion’s exterior window frames until they gleamed, no matter what it took.
“I was just thinking that the role of a mediator is truly difficult.”
“Mediator, you say? Ah…”
The Head Butler considered it for a moment, then nodded as if he understood.
Fortunately, though still somewhat clumsy in skill, he lived up to his reputation as a survivor of the catastrophe that had struck House Bydantis.
“It is a difficult role… I understand it well.”
Jasper recalled the memories from before he became Head Butler.
Truthfully, those memories were like a nightmare he had no desire to revisit.
House Bydantis had been like a frozen river laced with cracks.
A deep river where one wrong step would pull you under without a sound or a trace.
Even if you struggled to survive and clawed your way toward the surface, you could never find the hole you’d fallen through—only drown in the darkness. That was the horror of it.
Close colleagues, subordinates, superiors.
Even the former Family Head had slipped beneath those crimson waters and been swept away.
If the Young Lady—no, the Family Head—had not personally ended that catastrophe, Jasper suspected he too would be down there.
“It seems I’ve stirred up unpleasant memories.”
“Pardon? Ah, haha. Truthfully, they aren’t pleasant memories, but they aren’t memories I wish to forget, either.”
Though they made his skin crawl every time he recalled them, he never wanted to erase them forever.
“Why is that?”
“If I were to forget these memories, wouldn’t there be no one left to remember the Family Head’s growth?”
“Her growth.”
“Yes. Of course she is remarkable now as well, but back then, she was someone who commanded nothing short of awe.”
After all, how many profound shifts of heart must a sheltered noble daughter have endured simply to take up a sword?
The Head Butler smiled, a trace of bitterness in it.
“She could have been raised gently. She held a position where no one could fault her, even if she had given up.”
The Head Butler reflected as he spoke.
This was the first time he had ever shared such a story with anyone.
Because what had happened within House Bydantis had to be conveniently smoothed over as a mere ‘succession struggle.’
But House Asteri—and Elvia, who had previously visited Bydantis Castle—was, he judged, a safe audience.
‘…And there’s no way Asteri failed to notice something was amiss.’
At the time, Jasper had been nothing more than a hired hand, so he could not grasp the full picture.
What kind of discussions had been held with the former Family Head? Or had she simply ignored the matter entirely?
What mattered was that even as the house itself reeled, Asteri had never attempted to swallow House Bydantis.
Despite being its ‘rival house’ in the eyes of the world.
Moreover, no other house had dared lay a hand on Bydantis, either.
That alone was enough to say that Asteri had done its utmost for Bydantis.
“At any rate, that is why I chose to stay by the Family Head’s side by any means necessary. If I caused trouble, I would apologize. And when she accomplished something—though it may have been slightly impudent of me—I would offer her praise as well.”
“…Praise, you say.”
“Yes. Though it may be somewhat at odds with the standard of a perfect servant, I admit. Hahaha.”
As he said this, Jasper slipped back into his usual personality and adjusted his monocle, a touch sheepishly.
“I see. That was immensely helpful.”
“R-Really? I was of help?”
“Yes. Tremendously so.”
In truth, the conversation had sparked a realization in Elvia.
Yes. As a servant, she was flawless.
But wasn’t it true that Elvia was no longer confined to the category of a servant?
If one had to define her role now…
‘Perhaps something like a guardian.’
And our puppy likely considered her a sort of ‘family.’
If that was the case, wouldn’t a slightly more active expression of emotion be permissible?
Not just reporting dangerous situations to Petrick, but offering comfort or praise as well.
The corners of Elvia’s lips curved into a pleasing arc.
“Thank you.”
“Pardon? Ah, haha! It was nothing.”
“I have a small matter to attend to, so I shall take my leave. I trust you with the rest.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
His spirits noticeably lifted, the Head Butler accepted Elvia’s request with ease and vanished into the now-familiar interior of the Asteri Mansion.
After watching him go, Elvia melted straight into the shadows.
She intended to lift the puppy’s spirits and lavish him with unreserved ‘praise.’
The minor issue was that the Head Butler’s standards and Elvia’s were slightly different…
Well, Lion would probably like it, so it should be fine.
* * *
Maintaining his listless demeanor as best he could, Lion strode rapidly out of the mansion. Once clear of it, he practically broke into a run toward the village.
To be honest, if he hadn’t been keeping up the act, he would have sprinted at full speed from the mansion the moment the earlier incident ended.
And for good reason: it was complete.
The ultimate accessory!
What could it look like?
One thing was certain: it would exceed his expectations!
“Ah, Young Master, you’ve arrived!”
“Your timing couldn’t be better!”
A few dwarves who had been loitering outside the smithy greeted Lion.
“The accessory?”
“Well, Master Fingertip refused to show it to anyone before you arrived, Young Master Lion.”
“Indeed. That’s why we’ve been kicked out, too.”
The dwarves’ voices were remarkably excited as they spoke.
“Now, now, please go on in.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Lion didn’t linger in conversation as he usually might, instead heading straight into the deepest part of the smithy.
With each step, equipment he had never seen in Mudu’s Smithy entered his view.
And above all…
Glitter, glitter.
Gold dust and shavings scattered across the floor sparkled magnificently.
Further inside, partially completed accessories caught his eye.
‘Wait, even these are incredible.’
They looked like failed pieces, yet they were still fine enough that nobles would line up to acquire them.
Evidently, something about them had failed to satisfy Fingertip, whose master artisan temperament was on full display.
Lion stepped carefully to avoid treading on the gold, and at the end of the path…
“Hwoooooh.”
There stood Fingertip, both hands clenched tightly, releasing a deep breath.
The muscles in her tensed arms were sharply defined, and her trapezius muscles, forged through all-nighters, rose like mountains.
An intense aura radiated from her, reminiscent of a reclusive grandmaster.
It was as if a vortex swirled within the utterly windless smithy.
‘Guh…!’
Lion instinctively raised an arm to shield himself against the whirling tempest.
At least in this moment, her presence rivaled even his grandfather’s.
On Fingertip’s worktable sat an ornate box, as if it contained a treasure beyond price.
Inside, no doubt, would be the accessory crafted from the Cosmic Crystal.
Gulp.
Just as Lion swallowed dryly.
“Oh my! Young Master, you’ve come!”
Fingertip, having sensed Lion’s presence, greeted him in her characteristically warm and affectionate voice.
The grandmaster’s aura melted away in an instant, and Lion sheepishly lowered his arm.
“I had a feeling something might be complete.”
“Oh my, my. You must truly share a connection with this crystal. You’re right. It was finished just now.”
As she spoke, Fingertip lifted the box with the utmost care, as if delivering the world’s most precious treasure, and handed it to Lion.
“Please, see for yourself. For reference, in my opinion…”
Fingertip recalled the newly-completed accessory, her expression one of pure rapture.
“This much I can say with absolute certainty. I have never—and I likely never will—create a piece that surpasses this one.”
With those words, Fingertip offered a deep bow, brimming with respect.
“Truly, thank you. You have granted me a debt of gratitude that I could never fully repay, even if I devoted my entire life to it.”
Knowing Fingertip’s character, this was no exaggeration.
Which meant… something truly extraordinary had been born.
“…I’ll open it.”
Brimming with anticipation, Lion carefully lifted the lid.
Inside…
Fwooosh!!
Two accessories, each in its own compartment, radiated a light so brilliant it was almost blinding.
[Arcanum Ear Cuff — Sword (★★★★★)]
[Arcanum Cuffs — World Tree (★★★★★)]
-The gem set in this earring seems to hold all the constellations of the heavens. It possesses an elegance that defies description.
-The unfindable gem and the magnificent, delicate setting that holds it would kindle desire even in a dragon.
-It is no exaggeration to say they were made by a master of accessory crafting.
[The set effect ‘Arcanum’ will activate when worn.]
-Set Effect 1: The sense of presence among those who share this item is greatly increased.
-Set Effect 2: The more people who marvel at this item, the more the creator’s experience increases.
[Blacksmithing Proficiency has reached Skilled Lv.2.]
“…!”
Lion clenched his fist.
He’d done it!
Five stars!
There was joy in having finally broken through the four-star wall, but a far greater reason for his elation was that these accessories were a perfect match for the people who would wear them.
‘They’re absolutely perfect for those two.’
The cuffs were, of course, for his younger brother Rickshel.
Rickshel had a quiet dislike for anything cumbersome.
So Lion had agonized over something as practical as possible, yet visually striking.
The result was these cuffs, which could be easily fastened to a sleeve.
‘Because he has to stand out more than anyone at the Emperor’s Birthday.’
Shouldn’t his ridiculously handsome face get a proper chance to show off?
Unable to hide his satisfied expression, Lion inspected the ear cuff beside it.
This one was naturally intended for the Marquess of Bydantis.
If anything, even more than Rickshel, the Marquess was someone who detested anything that interfered with wielding a sword.
Dangling, cascading accessories would not suit her at all.
So the ear cuff was what he had devised.
“Good. Very good.”
Lion smiled warmly as he accepted the accessory case and tucked it into his coat.
In that moment.
“You are truly remarkable, Young Master.”
“Yeah. Thanks for the compli—”
A voice reached him, both familiar and foreign.
Meaning, it was a voice he hadn’t heard in the smithy before, but one he often heard in daily life.
This voice was…
“Elvia?”